Tag: marvel

One of the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s most impressive feats is how it takes previously fairly-obscure superheroes and brings them vividly to a mainstream audience. Iron Man and most recently Black Panther are good examples of this, and so is Ant-Man, though that movie was not as good as the previous two. Nonetheless, it was thrilling and funny, and the idea of a superhero-themed heist movie is still a novel idea. After the events of Infinity War, the MCU needed a “breather” film and Ant-Man and the Wasp delivers on that front; enjoyable and entertaining without the stakes of the previous two 2018 MCU movies (Infinity War is referenced here, not to spoil anything).

Long ago, Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and Janet van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer) were Ant-Man and the Wasp, but Janet ended up lost in “the quantum realm” after shrinking too small. Since in the previous film, the new Ant-Man Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) entered the quantum realm and escaped, Hank and his daughter Hope, the latest Wasp (Evangeline Lilly), hope to find Janet. Hank, Hope and Scott all work together in hopes of rescuing Janet, but their plans are complicated not only by Scott’s house arrest, but a mysterious figure called “Ghost” (Hannah John-Kamen) who wants Hank’s technology to cure her unstable condition.

Ant-Man and the Wasp can’t really be called one of Marvel’s best films, but it isn’t really trying to be. It’s meant to be really nothing more but a fun superhero romp and it certainly succeeds there, like its predecessor did. In fact, in some ways, it’s an improvement over Ant-Man, like how the villain this time is a lot more interesting. Ghost does some questionable things in her quest to become normal again, but thanks to John-Kamen’s acting, one really does want to see her achieve her goal. It seems Marvel’s villain problem may have been solved now that they’ve brought audiences three successfully sympathetic antagonists in a row.

The rest of the cast also excels, bringing plenty of humour and joy to their characters. Rudd is definitely a highlight, having plenty of amusing banter both with Douglas and Lilly and with his ex-con friends, and he brilliantly reveals his frustration at figuring out how his new size-changing suit works. Probably the best thing about this movie is how much pleasure it takes in finding ways to use Pym’s size-changing technology, with entire buildings being carried around like suitcases and actual cars being stored in a Hot Wheels carrying case.

Ant-Man and the Wasp may not be as good as this year’s last two MCU entries (or Deadpool 2 really), but it is still immensely enjoyable.

Do you remember 2012’s Avengers Assemble and how unbelievable it sounded back then? After getting they each got their own big-screen movie, Iron Man, Hulk, Thor and Captain America appear alongside each other in another big release. Six years and several Marvel movies later, the cast of Avengers Assemble seems downright quaint with the release of Avengers: Infinity War, which has the cast of Assemble along with Doctor Strange, Spider-man, the Guardians of the Galaxy and more. However, with so many interconnected Marvel movies released as well as other films like DC’s dull Justice League, the novelty of so many heroes in one film has worn off somewhat.

Yes, Infinity War, being the culmination of ten years of Marvel movies is far from what you would call a standalone film. While you could go into Black Panther or Spider-man Homecoming without watching any prior Marvel releases, this does require a decent knowledge of past films to really enjoy and understand.

Infinity War is best enjoyed with a good knowledge of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and with as little knowledge about the film itself as possible, so I’ll try to keep spoilers to a minimum. The crossover aspect of Infinity War works mostly with some good interactions between close comrades and heroes who have never met until this moment. Everything you liked about these characters in previous movies is on full display here, maybe a little too much as Infinity War often feels like a “Marvel Universe’s Greatest Hits” (which I suppose is appropriate given the prominence of the Guardians in this film).

The amount of characters does often make the story feel a little jumbled and overlong, and sometimes like you’re watching two separate films sewn together. One strength of the MCU movies is how each one feels distinct, and that feels a little too apparent here. The characters are still entertaining and sympathetic (but again, it’s better if you’ve watched their movies first) and Thanos is actually more than just a big bad world-destroying villain. The visuals are once again fantastic, for there are a lot of worlds to explore this time, and the action is very well-staged and exciting.

Avengers: Infinity War is extremely enjoyable, as have been most Marvel movies, with plenty of action, humour and even some effectively emotional moments. But is it the best MCU movie ever? Not really.

While watching Thor: Ragnarok, I did fear that the Marvel Cinematic Universe was running out of steam, but thankfully, Black Panther proved me wrong. There is still a lot of life and a lot more corners to explore in this world. While the title character may have been introduced in 2016’s Captain America: Civil War, Black Panther works as a standalone film, but thankfully is not yet another origin story.

The story is mostly set in Wakanda, a secretly-technologically-advanced nation of Africa which has always been protected by a “Black Panther”. The current Black Panther, T’Challa (Chadwick Boseman) has been made the new king of Wakanda after his father’s death, but his reign is challenged by the arrival of a mysterious figure known as “Killmonger” (Michael B. Jordan).

Like most Marvel movies, Black Panther is a visual treat, and the futuristic city of Wakanda is a joy to behold. There’s a lot of fun to be had seeing their technology in action and how they are utilised in fight scenes, said fight scenes also being very exciting and fast-paced. What really brings Wakanda alive, however, is its residents.

Boseman again turns in a great performance as Black Panther, creating a hero that while noble and regal, still has a human side to him. This human side is most effectively shown through his interactions with his sister Shuri (Letita Wright), who is a scientist who acts as T’Challa’s Q. She’s a very entertaining character and gets in some good banter with her brother. Sherlock’s Martin Freeman plays a role that is likeable and amusing.

Marvel may have had a history with mediocre villains in the past, but have been trying to remedy that with the likes of Ego and Vulture. Jordan’s Killmonger is another intriguing villain – true, he does gain a Black Panther suit himself but wears it only briefly. Killmonger is not only a threatening villain, but an intriguing, sympathetic character.

Black Panther is another fast-paced, exciting and fun addition to the Marvel library. It certainly gives high hopes for Infinity War.

Another day, another Marvel Cinematic Universe, and I fear that when writing this review, I’ll be repeating my reviews of previous entries in this franchise. It’s fun, the characters are well-played and have good dialogue etc. Indeed, while I did find Thor: Ragnarok entertaining and enjoyable, there was still the sense that this universe has almost run its course.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s a lot to like about Thor: Ragnarok. Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston again do commendable jobs as their respective Norse gods, and Mark Ruffalo is a hilarious highlight, both as a battle-loving Hulk and a confused Bruce Banner. He gets the lion’s share of the most memorable scenes, proving that Hulk is indeed the one when you want to have fun.

There, however, still exists the typical MCU problem of an uninteresting villain, especially annoying given this villain had potential. Hela (Cate Blanchett) is Thor’s older sister and goddess of death, so she could have been an interesting antagonist, but sadly, she just comes off as your typical evil sorceress, the type you’d find in abundance in, well, Disney films.

There is still a lot of fun to be had, and some of the jokes really work well, like utilising “Pure Imagination” of all songs. Yet there still is the sense of “second verse same as the first”, that so much of this has been done before and done better in previous MCU films. It’s a space adventure like this year’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol II, yet doesn’t have as much heart as that film did. The villain, as said before, isn’t as interesting as the Vulture was in the last MCU film.

So I am recommending you give Thor: Ragnarok a watch; you’ll enjoy yourself, it’s good to watch while munching on a big bag of popcorn. It just feels like something’s missing.

There was plenty to like about Captain America: Civil War, but one of the biggest highlights was Tom Holland’s performance as Spider-Man, even though his role was a small one. Loveably dorky and awkward was he, and it made several viewers want to see him in his own movie. And here we have it.

Spider-Man has been battling street-level crime using the suit Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) gave him, but wishes for a greater challenge. That arrives when he comes across a group of bank-robbers using high-tech weapons supplied to them by Adrian Toomes (Michael Keaton). Assisted by his friend Ned (Jacob Batalon), Peter attempts to put an end to Toomes’ operation, even though it might mean Stark losing trust in him.

The film begins with scenes from Civil War, and Stark does play a significant role. He does not, however, dominate the film, and enough is explained that those who haven’t watched previous MCU movies could follow. It’s certainly refreshing to watch after Amazing Spider-Man 2, which seemed only to exist to set up regular movies. There’s no origin shown this time (though mentioned) but this does have all the elements of a good Spider-man film; not only do we have Peter chasing down villains, we have him dealing with teenage angst.

Tom Holland is once again perfectly cast as Spider-Man, making him likeable, funny and sympathetic; possibly the best on-screen Spider-Man yet. The film’s second most memorable performance comes from Michael Keaton, who may not have been as fun as DeFoe’s Green Goblin but is certainly a threatening villain, made even more so by the human elements of his character. A lot is happening in this movie, yet it never feels overpacked or overlong.

What a wonderful surprise Guardians of the Galaxy was! Though prior to the film’s release Rocket Raccoon and Groot were nowhere near as big as Spider-man or the Hulk, it was still massively entertaining and humourous. It showed that the Marvel Universe wasn’t afraid to embrace the sillier aspects of its source material, and now, every grim and gritty product from DC like Batman v Superman and Gotham is met with “Why be so serious? Marvel had a movie with a talking racoon!” (which makes it odd that the new Marvel Studios opening is somewhat reminiscent of the opening credits of 1989’s Batman).

Sure enough, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 maintains a lot of the cheeky humour of the original. The very intro of the film involves a miniature Groot (Vin Diesel) dancing while his friends battle a hideous tentacle monster in the background, we get another cameo of none other than Howard the Duck, and of course, Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper) gets several good lines and interactions with his teammates; a highlight is when he gets into an argument with Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) and threatens to leave a turd – not necessarily his, either – in Quill’s bed.

The characters say and do funny things, but they are characters we care about as well. Despite Rocket’s sarcasm, Drax’s inappropriate comments and little Groot’s naivete, there is still the sense that this group need each other, and it still does make you care that Peter lost his mother. The main villain is also more interesting than most in the Marvel canon, not to spoil anything.

The film also looks very visually appealing, with characters like Rocket and Groot looking like they belong with the human characters. Some of the alien designs are nothing really that interesting but a planet they spend a good amount time on is beautifully realised. There’s also one hilarious visual where characters’ faces warp and bend when they’re going through portals.

It may not be as good as the first, but Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is still enjoyable enough to make you smile when the credits promise “The Guardians of the Galaxy will return”.